Fort-de-France

Fort-de-France is Martinique's capital, a Caribbean city where French colonial architecture mixes with Creole culture. The Pointe Simon pier puts you in the centre of town, steps from shops and market stalls. Narrow streets wind through the old quarter past pastel-coloured buildings and the iron-framed Bibliothèque Schoelcher, designed by the same architect who worked on the Paris Opera. The covered market, Marché aux Épices, sells local spices, rum, and handmade hot sauces. Martinique runs on the euro, which makes it unusual for the Caribbean. Rum is what the island is known for, and distillery tours at places like Habitation Clément are popular half-day excursions. Anse Dufour and Les Salines are good beach options if you want to leave town. Local food blends French technique with Caribbean ingredients: accras (salt cod fritters), colombo (a curry-like stew), and fresh grilled fish. French and Creole are the languages; English is limited outside tourist areas.